Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza with the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas largely holding.

Under terms of the deal, Hamas has so far released seven hostages, with more expected in the coming weeks. Israel, for its part, has released nearly 300 Palestinian prisoners. But while the guns have gone silent in Gaza, Israel has stepped up attacks on the West Bank – describing its campaign as a counter-terrorism operation.

I spoke with Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, President of the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and head of the Palestinian National Initiative, and asked him about this latest Israeli offensive.

To discuss:

• Khalil Jahshan is Executive Director of the Arab Center Washington, D.C.
• Trita Parsi is the Executive Vice-President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and an expert on the Geopolitics of the Middle East.
• Daniel Arbell is a Scholar-in-Residence at the Center for Israeli Studies at American University.

For more:

Drone footage reveals large crowds of Palestinians heading back to the northern Gaza Strip after Israel opened a checkpoint. https://t.co/FMZxmFB3Fs

— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) January 28, 2025

Ensuring lasting peace in Gaza is crucial. CGTN's Sean Callebs spoke with Joel Rubin, Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Home Affairs, on the delicate ceasefire in place. #biz #bizshow #gaza #israel #israelhamas #palestine #ceasefire #humanitarian pic.twitter.com/dlluuoxXW3

— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) January 24, 2025